Raiders outscore Southern 12-4 in fourth quarter to win at tournament
LINWOOD – The Ocean City Red Raiders are winners of three of their last four games after a lockdown performance in the fourth quarter against Southern Regional High School.
Ocean City outscored Southern 12-4 in the fourth quarter to clinch a 40-34 win over the Rams Feb. 1. Three different Raiders scored in double-digit points, led by Naomi Nnewihe and Gabrielle Henry with 11 points each.
Head coach Trish Henry credited the Raiders’ energy on defense for the win as Nnewihe picked up her seventh double-double of the season with 10 rebounds to go along with her 11 points.
Ocean City trailed Southern by only two points after the third quarter and quickly regained the lead with six minutes to play. Nnewihe scored seven of her points in the fourth quarter with relentless drives towards the basket. The seven straight Raider points gave them breathing room as the clock winded down.
On defense the Raiders held Southern to a maximum of one shot per possession multiple times thanks to the rebounding by Allie Hudson and Scarlett Fletcher in the fourth quarter. Southern also only made one bucket from the floor in the entire frame with the other two points coming via free throws near the end of the game.
Asked how Ocean City closed out the game, coach Henry said, “Their energy always starts on the defensive end and I think they did a great job today. With their ability to switch between our three different defenses today, they all did a great job executing. So it gives them confidence when we get some steals and points in transition.”
The Raiders got the final jolt of confidence they needed after sophomore Hudson forced a turnover and scored on a fast break to extend the lead to 39-33 with under a minute to play and effectively seal the game.
Sophomore Marley Ostrander kept the Raiders afloat early as Southern came out of the gate in rhythm. She scored all eight of the Raiders’ points in the second quarter that saw them trail by as many as seven before halftime.
Ocean City has now won three of its last four games and has had steady production from each of the starting five players all season long. In each of the four games there has been at least one different Raider at the top of the stat sheet along with the season leader Nnewihe.
“I think it’s everybody believing in each other and wanting to work hard,” Henry said. “They understand that they have a role to play and if they can do their job, it gives us a better chance to win.”
Ocean City improved its record to 11-8 and boasts an impressive 9-1 record in their division in the Cape-Atlantic League. The game against Southern was part of the annual War V The Shore event held at Mainland Regional High School that pits teams from the Cape-Atlantic League against the Shore conference. There were 11 games featuring 22 teams from 10 a.m. through the final at 6:30 p.m.
The Raiders have one more week of games against strong opponents before the start of the Cape-Atlantic League tournament. The Raiders will play a divisional game at home against Vineland High School (9-10) on Feb. 5. All important seeding in the conference tournament will be on the line in a rematch of a 49-42 Raider victory over Vineland on Jan. 17. Game time is 6 p.m.
The Raiders will finish their weekend with back-to-back games with the first coming at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 7 on the road at Absegami High School (15-5).
On Feb. 8, the Raiders will host Wildwood High School (13-3) as a part of a double-header against the Warriors alongside the Ocean City boys team. Wildwood is led by one of the best players around, Macie McCracken, who has averaged over 25 points so far this season and topped the career 2,000-point mark. The girls game begins at 1 p.m. followed by the boys game at 2:30 p.m.
– STORY by WILLIAM TRUITT/For the Sentinel
– PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
